


Little Riddle / James Potter

by annweasley



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, James Potter - Fandom, The Marauders - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-17 05:40:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16089191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annweasley/pseuds/annweasley
Summary: James Potter was a skilled and talented wizard, his name a renowned one amongst Hogwarts students. Many knew him because of his outstanding Quidditch skills, most because of his infatuation with Lily Evans, but everyone knew he was a key member of the infamous Marauders that tormented the castle on a daily basis.Everyone thought he was an open book, easy to read, easy to keep up with, so when he drastically changed the chapter it caught people off guard.No one really understood how a chap as charming as James Potter would end up falling in love with Alexis Riddle, a renowned name in her own right, for being Lord Voldemort's little sister that is.But of course, James had always been cursed with having the worst of luck in love, and the fact that his loved one was conceived under the use of a love potion proved so.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> PSA: The timeline of the original Harry Potter books has been altered to suit this story better. Yes, Voldemort is canonically way older than anyone in the Marauder's Era, but as you can tell I've made some rearrangements for Little Riddle. This is fiction, after all, and 'canonically' Tom never had a sister and James never fell out of love with Lily.

 

 

>   _do not_  
>  _be ashamed_  
>  _of the wars_  
>  _your soul_  
>  _has fought_  
>  _to save_  
>  _itself._

Merope Gaunt took a lot of secrets to the grave, but Tom Riddle took it upon himself to unveil every last one of them, no matter the consequence or circumstance. The Riddle siblings had lived their lives in the shadows, unaware of  the rich history surrounding their family and the major misfortunes that marked it. Neither blinked an eye when they got sorted into Slytherin House for it was still unbeknown to them that their ancestry had greatly influenced the Sorting Hat's decision. But once they learned about their heritage and rightful title as heirs of Slytherin, the rest of the story began to unfold by itself. It had been hard for them to learn all about their family's twisted dark secrets. To learn that Tom Riddle Sr. had been a muggle, and quite a disgraceful one, at that. To learn that their mother had been a disgrace to her family. To learn that they had been conceived under the use of a love potion.

Their father had never loved their mother, Merope had simply made sure to keep him under the influence of the potion at all times, even after she conceived Tom. It wasn't until she was pregnant with her second child that she got tired of living a lie and chose to come clean to the love of her life, naively believing that the potion had altered the man's genuine feelings. Naively believing that he would never dare leave them. They were the picture perfect family, after all, what else could he ask for? But she had been terribly wrong, you see, because Tom Riddle was not only horrified but downright  _disgusted_  by the mere sight of them. And as the tale tells it, he left before Merope could mend her mistakes and falsely rekindle the love.

They arrived at Wool's orphanage on the night of August 14, where a five year old Tom watched with curiosity as his mother writhed with agony and pain. On the early hours of August 15, after hours of haunting screams and a concerning amount of blood loss, Alexis Delphini Riddle was born. Tom had been too preoccupied with the baby in his arms to notice his mother's cries had stopped, and unfortunately, so had her heart. Merope passed away on Alexis' birth day, taking with her any chance the siblings had of living a seemingly normal life. They had been conceived under the use of a love potion, their family had practiced inbreeding for centuries, and the woman who carried them in her womb had been the most miserable and love-deprived woman to exist. It was no wonder the Riddle siblings were far from ordinary.

Tom took Alexis under his wing and assumed all responsibilities regarding her. From their years at Wool's, where he believed the staff was far too incompetent to care for his sister, to the two years they got to spend together at Hogwarts. Tom always cared for her, albeit in his own twisted ways. But they never saw eye to eye, not when it came to blood purity or the murdering of innocent people. And if Alexis herself could not stop Tom from going down that path, then nothing would.

After Tom graduated Alexis replaced him as Hogwarts' brightest student, although admittedly she had quite some competition in the area. This was all much to the dismay of a certain redhead and Gryffindor classmate of hers who couldn't have been any more discontent with both Riddle siblings. Lily Evans and Alexis Riddle had an ongoing and silent rivalry, one in which the Gryffindor tried her absolute hardest to outsmart the Slytherin and the Slytherin wasn't all that fazed about her effort.

It was during her third year, when she first got to experience Hogwarts without Tom, that four Gryffindors got to target her at last after two long years of waiting, Finally, the Marauders could get their revenge on all Slytherins without having to worry about Tom Riddle cursing them into oblivion. Thirteen year old James Potter and Sirius Black attempted to hex her in front of a crowd of people while Peter Pettigrew watched ahead in awe and Remus Lupin kept his gaze on his book. She didn't want to harm them so she simply disarmed them using nonverbal magic and used the ' _Arresto Momentum_ ' spell to slow them down so she could peacefully leave. Another thing she differed from Tom at was that she despised being the center of attention.

But then Lily Evans tried to hex her. She'd been smart, kept herself at a reasonable distance behind other students so she wouldn't catch anyone's eye. She hid her wand in her robes and muttered the spell, but Alexis was not the type of person you ever catch off guard, and Lily learned this once she saw how her fellow young witch blocked the spell with ease, almost as if she had been waiting for it. Lily also had the misfortune of learning yet another one of Alexis' rules,  _do not_   _attack unless provoked_ , and it was that way that the entire school learned that Alexis Riddle was not to mess with. They never bothered her again, not Lily and certainly not the Marauders. For years, they were able to coexist under the same roof whilst having the minimum interaction with one another.

But as soon as she finished her meal at the Start of Term Feast after returning to the castle for her sixth year McGonagall directed her to the Headmaster's office, where three out of the four Marauders had also been instructed to go. An awkward tension engulfed the four students as they made their way past the gargoyle and into Dumbledore's office, all of them silently wondering what the reason for such an odd arrangement was. The Headmaster didn't beat around the bush, he'd been very clear when he voiced his plans, regardless of how odd they seemed:  _let's start a dueling club_.

She knew the purpose of the club was to prepare other students to fight her brother and his followers. Dumbledore hadn't outright said it, but he did mention the attacks and murders that had been terrorizing the wizarding world as of lately, all her brother's doings. The identity of Lord Voldemort hadn't been linked to Tom Riddle yet, but it hadn't been a challenge for Alexis to make the connection. Even if the weekly letters he sent her were vague she knew all about his plans and whereabouts. She knew the locket he gifted her was far more than just a relic, knew about his stance on blood purity, and about his quest for immortality. But her hands were tied and she could do nothing but watch how the man who raised her was turning into a monster.

She accepted. She was never going to fight against her brother. She would never dare raise her wand against him, not out of fear, but out of a pathetic attempt of love and a vague sense of gratitude. But she was never going to fight by his side either. She was going to help others prepare. Teach them how to defend themselves and those they love. She was not like Tom. She may have been conceived under the use of a love potion and may never be able to feel love or extreme happiness, but she wouldn't dare take it away from the people around her. She wanted them to relish the feelings she could only long for.


	2. Chapter 2

> _Not all girls are_   
>  _made of sugar and spice_   
>  _and everything nice_   
>  _Some girls are made of adventure,_   
>  _fine beer, brains,_   
>  _and no fear_

 

"This dueling club will begin in October, there will be a session per week. Only fifth to seventh years are allowed to sign up," Dumbledore instructed as he gazed at the four students who stood awkwardly before the Headmaster's desk. "There's still a month left. That way you can prepare your lessons to properly teach the students instead of catching them off guard with spells they're not familiar with," he looked at James and Sirius with an amused smile as he uttered that last comment.

"Excuse me, Professor?" Remus shyly raised his hand, clearing his throat before voicing his doubt, "why didn't you assign a teacher to do this?"

Dumbledore nodded understandingly before explaining, "This is considered an extracurricular activity, Mr. Lupin, and the teachers are busy enough as it is, so I figured it was time for the four of you to show off your remarkable skills. Of course, I'll completely understand if any of you declines." But he knew they wouldn't. That's why those specific four students were standing in front of him, because they had the character and the will to fight, to make a move and incite change. They had the hunger to do right, all of them driven by their own personal reasonings,

"I'll do it," Alexis stepped forward with her head held high, unhesitatingly giving Dumbledore a reply. "I'm in."

"Very well," Dumbledore smiled kindly at her, a knowing look reflected in his eyes, before redirecting his gaze to the three young men, "gentlemen?"

"We're in," answered James, speaking on behalf of all three, Sirius and Remus simply nodded in confirmation.

"Okay then, we will further discuss this matter later," he nodded politely, "now off to bed, sleep awaits you." And just like that, the Headmaster's attention shifted elsewhere, making the four students exit his office with similar quizzical expressions on their faces. An incredibly awkward and tense silence followed the group as they made their way down the stairs. Alexis could tell James and Sirius were beyond skeptical about her being included in the ordeal, but she believed Remus was far more reasonable than them and would make the entire experience a tad more pleasant.

"I'm glad they chose you as well," Remus broke the silence, looking down at her with a friendly and warm smile, "heard your dueling skills were legend," he added with a smirk plastered on his face, causing his two friends to direct a scowl his way.

"Non-verbal and wandless magic usually does the trick for me, but I'm sure you guys know a ton more spells than me," she replied. She couldn't deny how out of place she felt walking beside three of the most popular and mischievous students to ever grace Hogwarts. She wasn't particularly known for being the friendliest around, and the contrast in character she had with the three boys was simply odd.

"We can work on that," Remus said kindly, although his words were interrupted by a very curious and a tad bit disbelieving James Potter.

"You know how to use wandless magic?" He questioned, his eyebrows furrowing as he scrutinized her. Here's a fun fact, James Potter had mostly forgotten about Alexis Riddle's existence. Their paths had rarely met and when they did he'd been far to occupied entertaining his friends' shenanigans or admiring Lily Evans' perfection to notice Alexis' presence. This right here, had been the first time they ever exchanged words with one another.

"Still learning. It would be an utter lie if I claimed to master it," she confessed with a nonchalant shrug. She could feel their undivided attention on her and it was bothersome, for people tended to always notice her worst characteristics before acknowledging her redeeming qualities.

"Well, how about we meet on Wednesday to try and plan this out?" Remus asked, glancing at all three of them expecting an answer.

"Sure," she sighed, "library?"

"Oh no, that place gives me a headache." Sirius moaned, intervening on the conversation for the first time. "Tree next to the Black Lake. 5 pm," he stated firmly, not asking for their approval.

"Okay, good night then." She bid them farewell, and only Remus answered back, which she didn't find rude nor did she take it personally. It took people a while to warm up to her and with good reason. At the end of the day, she had met truly unpleasant people over the course of her life and it was clear that Marauders were not that. Big-headed and egotistical? Maybe, but well intentioned nonetheless.

 

"Why her?" Sirius groaned, throwing his head back on the sofa. The boys had already made their way back to their common room and had informed Peter all about their new task.

"Why couldn't it have been Peter?" James, slouched in the sofa next to Sirius, joined in on the complaining. "Or my darling Lily?"

"Because Peter sucks at dueling," Remus interrupted their whining before briefly glancing over at Peter, "no offense, Peter." The mousy boy shrugged unfazed and kept his attention on the sweets on his lap while he sat on the ground. "And Lily--she's amazing, but she's not  _as_  good."

"Says who?" James' sudden defensive demeanor was painfully obvious to see, however, it did not startle Remus.

"Says everyone who watched their duel three years ago," the lycanthrope deadpanned, his gaze set on his book as opposed to on the lad.

James scoffed with a frown contorting his features. "That was three years ago! Lily is much better at dueling now," he claimed indignantly.

"I'm sure she is. Just like I'm sure Alexis has improved a lot in three years as well," Remus argued back, his body language also turning somewhat defensive. With a sigh, he set his book aside and faced his friends, "She was amazing with non-verbal spells back then, I'm sure she's a master at them now. And wandless magic? I mean, for Melin's beard, even I want her to teach me that!"

James turned to Sirius with an expression of utter concern. "Can you believe this? We've lost him. He's gone mad."

"Moony, mate," Sirius leaned forward and placed his hand on Remus' knee, "are you sure you didn't hit your head too hard down at the Shack?"

"Oh, sod off! And stop being such drama queens." He rolled his eyes and returned his attention back to the book although his eyes were no longer following the words written on the pages. His hands fidgeted on his lap, a hesitant expression taking over his facial features, before he mustered the courage to mutter lowly, "I got to know her a little during the prefects' meetings last year. She was the nicest one of the lot."

Sirius looked almost disgusted by his mate's words. "She's a Slytherin!"

Remus closed his book and pinched the hook of his nose, begging Merlin to give him patience to not his own friends into oblivion. "Listen, she's incredibly smart, yeah? She's very very observing." He blurted out anxiously, making James and Sirius frown confused as to where this was going. Peter continued eating his sweets with a content smile as he listened to the anecdote he'd already been told.

"She noticed my scars," Remus begun, the same hesitant expression still on his face. Those four words were all that was needed to make James and Sirius panic, "and I could tell she was curious about them. She was never rude about it, but I knew she found it odd that Madam Pomfrey could never make them completely disappear. Then I guess she began noticing I was absent every month and she knew it wasn't a coincidence it always happened around the full moon." He finally looked up and, with a sigh, he confessed the little secret he'd been keeping from his friends. "She knows I'm a werewolf. I was obviously unaware of this. But one day she stopped me once the prefects' meeting was over and gave me some type of ointment. And left without saying a word. She attached a letter to the jar, explaining how the ointment made werewolf scars less painful and helped heal faster. I instantly panicked, obviously, but the next time I saw her she just smiled at me and pretended nothing happened." Discussing werewolf-matters was extremely embarrassing for Remus, so naturally, he found the entire ordeal humiliating. He was grateful, of course, but just knowing that someone out there knew of his condition was startling.  "That ointment is extremely tricky to make. Not to mention it takes months for the ingredients to be ready." He added before glancing up at his friends, hoping they'd understand why they  _had_  to be nice to Alexis Riddle. "They rarely have it at St. Mungo's."

The boys had been rendered speechless. It was a commonly known fact that people always assumed the worst of Alexis because of the fear her brother inflicted on people. No one had really taken the time to get to know her and it appeared as if Remus had been the first to get a glimpse of what the youngest Riddle was genuinely like. Having mostly forgotten about her existence, it took James off guard to know that someone he, maybe subconsciously, always considered evil had been so considerate and thoughtful. Two words he thought he'd never use to describe Alexis Riddle. 

When the next day came around Sirius and him had been unable to stop watching her all day, still in slight disbelief the youngest Riddle was such a complex character. And that's when they began to notice. They way she never associated with any of the annoying Slytherins, how her demeanor never appeared to be imposing but rather serene instead, how here main focus were her classes and not the blood status of her classmates.

"Okay, so maybe she's not that bad." James murmured, leaning back on his chair as Sirius continued watching Alexis, who'd been sitting two seats ahead on the row left to theirs.

Sirius was amused by the way she was furiously scribbling, detaching herself completely from the havoc around her as the Professor was yet to arrive and the students were far from being on their best behavior. "I've never heard Regulus talk about her. That's a good thing."

"Are you two still stalking her?" Remus snickered, taking a seat on the desk behind them, with Peter following suit.

"Not stalking. Closely observing," said James,

"She's really nice." Peter added nonchalantly, getting startled when Sirius and James both abruptly turned to look at him.

"How would you know?" Questioned Sirius, looking at Peter with a raised eyebrow.

"She tutored me last year, remember?" Peter replied as if the matter was common knowledge. "History of Magic?"

"Oh, it was her? I thought Marlene had been tutoring you." Now it was James' turn to question Peter.

"She did at first, but then she said I was a hopeless case," Peter blushed as he recalled the embarrassing moment. "Alexis was at McGonagall's office at the time. She saw the whole thing and volunteered to tutor me."

"And, I don't know if you two idiots found out," Remus interrupted, leaning forward and closer to the two, "he got an 'O' for History of Magic on his OWLS."

James was about to make a witty remark regarding Peter's intelligence but then Severus Snape himself walked into the classroom, and both James and Sirius were physically unable to focus elsewhere when the opportunity to annoy Snape presented itself. James managed to faintly hear Sirius muttering under his breath, and the next thing he knew, Snape's feet began making odd movements, throwing him off balance and making him run into objects and people. He then bumped into Alexis Riddle herself before landing on the ground with a thud.

She turned to glare at him with a scowl that uncannily resembled her brother's. "Watch where you're going, grease ball," she spat before turning back to her scribbling, The four boys watched on with their mouths wide open. They could see Snape trying his absolute hardest to bite his tongue before walking off, knowing better than to argue with a Riddle.

" _Nah_ , that's it. I like her," a smug grin appeared on Sirius' lips as he continued surveying the girl with pride.


	3. Chapter 3

> _She was a forgiver._   
>  _Her heart was so large,_   
>  _she didn't know how_   
>  _to give up on people,_   
>  _because she always believed_   
>  _the good in those she loved._   
>  _It was until she was walked on_   
>  _so many times, she had no choice_   
>  _but to let go of those who burned_   
>  _holes in her heart._

 

Scotland's September weather was undoubtedly lovely, a pleasant mixture of sunny days and refreshing winds. It would be a total waste to spend the free hours the students were given during the afternoon inside the castle considering they would soon be battling the clouded skies and pouring rain. The Hogwarts' student body was well aware of this, which explained why the grounds were crowded by different groups of people sitting all around, engaging in mindless chatter and partaking in any activity they found entertaining. Amongst them sat the Marauders, lost in their own little world, unbothered by the occasional glances they received by onlookers, mostly first years, who wanted to know what the mischievous four were up to. James and Sirius kept throwing rocks at the lake in an absurd competition of who could annoy the giant squid first, while Peter helped Remus with all the parchment scattered around. Needless to say, they weren't giving their audience a show.

"What is that all about?" James muttered right after throwing a pebble and watching it disappear in the water, he then gave the scattered parchment a quick glance without really bothering to read it.

"Spells. To remember for duelings." Remus replied absentmindedly, his attention focused on the many notes rather than in his friends.

Sirius, sitting by James' side, couldn't hep but sneer. "Oh, come on, Moony. You know we don't need that."

"We don't. Others do." The young lycanthrope shrugged, still not giving his friends his time of day.

"I'm late! I know! I'm sorry!" Startled by the voice of the girl they never saw approaching, the four boys jumped in their spot, looking up at her with wide and scared eyes. Noticing their reaction, she offered them a sheepish smile which attempted to conceal a laugh. "Sorry."

"Merlin's beard!" Sirius exclaimed loudly, clutching his chest with the dramatics fit for Sirius Black. "Scared me to death, woman!"

Another sheepish  _sorry_  left her lips as she took a seat next to Remus, who she handed a long parchment roll to, "This is what I came up with. I wrote and classified every spell I know that's useful for dueling. I think it would be easier if we focused on a type of spell each week?" She pointed out some of the notes she had written as she spoke, completely unfazed by Sirius' and James' bored expressions, "So let's say we start off with some easy jinxes one week, but then we hit them with hexes. Then protective spells, then curses, and so on."

Remus flashed her a satisfied grin as he flicked through the notes, "this is brilliant, Lexi."

"Oh, so now they're on a nickname basis," Sirius pointed out before to James with an indignant huff, "I feel left out."

Remus rolled his eyes at his friend's theatrics. "It's not our fault we're the only ones making an effort."

"Ok, then," the long haired boy sat up straighter, a defiant smile playing on his lips, "how about we meet in the room of requirement some day soon? So the four of us can have an actual duel?"

"Sounds good to me," Alexis commented, adding a nonchalant shrug to the gesture.

"You say that now," Sirius taunted her with one of his signature arrogant smirks.

"Oh,  _please_! I took you on back in third year, remember? A walk in the park!" She scoffed, refusing to let Sirius' taunts be the end of the discussion. Meanwhile, his friends didn't even bother with trying to be subtle with their laughter, causing him to frown and reach for her parchment to read the spells she had written. "Oh, by the way," drastically changing topic, Alexis reached into her bag and pulled out a jar containing a white substance which she handed to Remus. She wasn't sure if the timing was right, but the odds of his friends not knowing about his  _condition_  were slim to none, so she thought there was nothing risky about delivering the ointment right there and there. "Figured you were running out."

The boys' gazes softened immediately as they recognized the jar's substance, and Remus had to fight the urge to embrace her so tightly she lost consciousness. "You didn't have to, really," he uttered in disbelief, although not hesitating to reach for it, "I know how complicated this is to make, and it takes months for it to be ready. I don't want to be such a burden to you."

"Don't sweat it," she waved her hand dismissively, "I brewed the ingredients during summer, it was nothing, really."

James' grin widened. "You've been working on this all summer?"

"Yeah, well," the heat began to make its way to her cheeks, causing them to tint a pink color, "I had a lot of free time, I guess."

Sirius smirked and raised an eyebrow. "And you decided to spend it making a potion for Remus?"

"Better than nothing," she added with a shrug. She meant every bit of her statement, though, because the orphanage she had to spend her summers in was such a grim place, illegally brewing potion was truly  _better than nothing_. She kept awkwardly fidgeting with her skirt, unsure of just what to do with her body language, as the Marauders observed her with knowing grins. It made Remus' heart swell to think the girl had actually worried about him even if they were simply acquaintances, and the rest of the boys noted that her act of kindness was beyond meaningful for him.

"Oh, Lexi?" Peter broke the silence, directing to Alexis with his commonly shy demeanor, "I was wondering if you could tutor me again this year?"

"Of course, Peter," she nodded as she stood up and fixed her skirt. "I better get going now. See you lads around." This time she was met with a chorus of " _see you_ _"_ and _"goodbye"_ as she made her way over to the castle, leaving them to talk about her like they had been doing for the past three days. Truth be told, she didn't care about them. She didn't care about Remus' little problem, or about Peter's dreadful memory of historical events. But that was simply because feeling such emotion was more demanding for her than it was for everyone else. In other words, she didn't care because she couldn't, she was physically unable to. So she attempted to do the closest thing to  _caring_ she could muster, and helped them with anything that seemed like an inconvenience while being as friendly as possible, despite her sentiments not being a hundred percent sincere. She was tired of scaring people away, after all.

Being a heartless bitch was not fun.

 

The Hogwarts library lived up to its expectations. It was easy for those who wandered to get lost, with piles among piles of centuries worth of knowledge. You might be looking for a book about the Troll Rebellion, but then a book about medieval spells calls your attention, and then you find ' _Birth Control Spells: A Wizards Guide to Avoid STDs_ ' and you were doomed. It had happened to Alexis one too many times, ending up under piles of random books. Few of them were actually needed, most of them were to entertain her curiosity. She was a firm believer that the library was the most peaceful place in Hogwarts. The uncharacteristic silence allowed her mind to focus but also wander. And even if it was just useless information, like Catallus Spangle's autobiography, she always walked out of the library with more knowledge than she possessed before.

Today, however, was not the case. The place for peace and quiet had been disrupted by Hogwarts' biggest weasels themselves. For some unknown reason, the Marauders had decided to gather around in the library, not doing anything productive whatsoever and not allowing anyone else to do so either. Alexis remembered Sirius mentioning how the library gave him a headache. Turns out  _he_  was the headache.

She closed her book exasperated. It was clear today wasn't going to be the day she finished the wizard adaptation of that muggle novel, so she gathered all of her belongings and sent the books back to their respective shelves with a flick of her wand. She saw the four Gryffindors leaning over the table, murmuring excitedly over each other. They looked secretive and suspicious, and after all, Alexis visited the library on a daily basis because she was a curious one. She casted a spell to eavesdrop on them whilst flicking through the nearest book to appear unsuspecting.

" - _but we still don't know their new password_."

" _So you mean to tell me you bloody idiots came all the way here and interrupted me_ _just to tell me about a plan you haven't even figured out yet?"_

" _Relax, Moony. We got this. We just have to find out what their new password is."_

_"_ _\--_ _And look for Malfoy's and Snivellus' dorm."_

"-- _And turn everything pink."_

"-- _And fill it with dog-sized rats. Many of them."_

"-- _While they're asleep."_

"-- _Without getting caught, obviously."_

_"See? No big deal."_

" _You bloody twa_ \-- "

Alexis pulled the book she'd been holding up to hide her face and her muffled giggles. She had always been indifferent towards their pranks, but this one sounded promising so she quickly reached into her bag and hurriedly scribbled in a piece of parchment before turning it into a paper airplane and levitating it towards James' head. He frowned, thinking someone had thrown a paper ball at him, but when he turned he was met by Alexis sitting all by herself in the table behind them, making a paper airplane fly over their heads with the help of her wand. He reached over and caught it, reading its content out loud for the boys to hear.

_Toujours pure_   
_Left hallway. Fifth door to the right._   
_Colovaria_   
_Take some books with you. Do: snufflifors - geminio - engorgio_   
_Bewitched sleep. Remus probably knows how to do it_   
_Xx_

She walked past them, giving them a cheeky wink, before exiting the library. They all followed her with their gaze in silent awe, which Sirius broke as he sighed dramatically. "I think I'm in love with her."

 

Tom Riddle was far too entranced with the Dark Arts, he'd reached a point of no return. His hunger for power had blinded him, and nothing could get on his way now, not even his sister. She had tried. She knew he was very tolerable with her, never threatening or lashing out at her even if she'd crossed the line. She was the one and only person he would never dare hurt, so she'd tried to use that to her advantage and talk him out of it, tried with all of her might to make him understand that maybe the world was a cruel place and life was unfair, and maybe they would never get to experience the beauty of it like others could. But it was still worth the view. Worth the experience. Worth the company. Alexis tried, maybe hopelessly, to see the light in a world that had left her in a complete darkness. That was a weakness for Tom.

She took another look at the letter he had sent, swearing it even smelled like him a little. It had been three years since she last saw him. Ever since he graduated from Hogwarts. He had made it perfectly clear that he didn't want to get her involved in all the dangerous activities he was partaking on, so he left her there, alone. He never went back to the orphanage to visit her, but she didn't really blame him though, it was a grim place that held nothing but bad memories.

_Albania._ He was going off to Albania for a couple of weeks and wouldn't be able to write to her. Her chest ached as she ran her fingers through his writing. It was painful for her to see the only person she ever  _cared_ for slip away. The only family she ever knew. Tom was all she had, and he was turning into a monster. Tears welled up in her eyes as she hid the letter under her pillow and left her dorm, still wearing her now very creased uniform. It was nighttime already, so she had to be extremely careful as she made her way out of the dungeons and into the grounds, knowing she would be in deep trouble if Filch found her wandering around.

She walked the silent and lonely grounds, only then realizing it was a full moon. Her mind immediately went to poor Remus. She didn't really know what he did during his time of the month, but she genuinely hoped he was someplace safe. After walking around for a bit, she stopped abruptly as she saw four figures sneaking out of the castle like she had done minutes before. The darkness only allowed her to see their silhouettes, so she curiously but cautiously walked closer, remaining in the shadows and out of view. Some Hufflepuffs had decided to have a little fun that night, going in what appeared to be a double date. The snogging began soon after, making her scrunch her nose in disgust and walk the other way.

She was a safe distance away from the Hufflepuffs when she saw more movement coming from somewhere in the forest. She couldn't tell anything apart do to the shadows that contorted everything around them, but in just one split second she saw  _him_ , causing her heart to pound almost painfully and her lungs to fail in the task of getting oxygen. Her new dear friend Remus came into view, except this wasn't Remus anymore, this was his alter ego, Werewolf McWolfy.

She stepped back carefully, hiding behind a pillar as the werewolf remained near the edge of the woods. He hadn't seen her yet and she wanted to keep it that way. She rubbed her eyes to check if sleep had been getting the best of her, but the bizarre scene occurring right in front of her eyes had not been a creation of her imagination. The werewolf was now accompanied by a majestic stag, a big black dog, and... a rat?

It took her a minute to notice. Remus hadn't been wandering around the forest befriending any random animal he could find. No. This were his friend, his human friends, little rascals were animagus, most likely unregistered ones. She couldn't help but chuckle as realization hit her. Peter had to be the rat. And wasn't James' nickname Prongs? And bloody hell, Sirius was a dog!  _The irony._

Suddenly, a dog whimpered in pain, making her return her attention to the group, and now the scene had drastically changed. The animals were no longer playing around and were now in the middle of a fierce fight. Sirius and James tried to control Remus, but the werewolf had completely lost all of his senses. He was now attacking anything that got in his way, making Alexis frown, wondering what made him have such a drastic change. But then she heard it,  _the Hufflepuffs' loud laugh_ _ter._ The werewolf attacked both the stag and the dog in one swift movement, leaving their bloody bodies on the ground as he ran. Alexis panicked, jumping out of her hiding spot and running after him in an utterly spontaneous and not properly-thought out move.

James and Sirius looked at her alarmed. She now had the werewolf's attention as he darted towards her instead. She could see James struggling to get up while Sirius only whimpered in pain. She quickened her pace and concentrated, leaping slightly into the air before setting her feet back in the ground. But now two legs were no longer carrying her, and instead, she ran with four black legs.

You see, the Marauders weren't the only unregistered animagus.


	4. Chapter 4

> _Be happy in the_   
>  _moment,_   
>  _that's enough._   
>  _Each moment is_   
>  _all we need_   
>  _not more._
> 
>  

A panther ran lose on the Hogwarts grounds as it clashed on a vicious fight with a werewolf. Where was Mike Creevey when you needed him? Alexis, already fully transformed into her animagus form, tried to keep Remus beneath her but to no avail, the werewolf kept pushing and scratching, desperately trying to free himself from her weight. She was so overwhelmed by the mere shock of it all that she managed to numb herself out as she battled the ferocious beast. There was a fog of disbelief clouding her mind, making her wonder if this was truly even happening. Of course, the many scratches and bruises she was getting would serve as proof later on.

She could see James and Sirius regain some of their strength from the corner of her eye, which filled her with relief considering her one-on-one tactics with the werewolf weren't having a successful outcome. Desperately trying to come up with a plan, she bit down on Remus and tried to pull him into the forest and as far from the Hufflepuffs as she could. James quickly caught up with her plan and rushed to her aid, he then began using his antlers to push the werewolf farther into the woods.

The fight continued for what felt like long arduous hours until finally all energy seemed to drain out of the beast, causing it to tumble around dizzily until it eventually fell over unconscious, and in the blink of an eye, a teenage boy took the spot the werewolf had been occupying. Soon after, the stag and the panther that had been silently surveying the boy returned to their human form, standing with pure astonishment as they continued trying to process the situation.  Alexis was unnerved, utterly unnerved, the reality of what had just happened beginning to sink in. She could feel the panic making its way up her throat, choking her, causing her eyes to well up and her breathing to become uneven.

She could've  _died_. She could've seriously injured Remus. She could've  _killed_ him. She could've accidentally killed any of the other boys. She was a  _panther_ , for God's sake, and although she was quite small compared to a regular-sized panther that didn't make her attacking technique any less deadly. After successful controlling her breathing her senses began to return and the images became clearer. And there he was, the protagonist of the night, looking worse than she'd ever seen him. Just the sight of Remus filled Alexis with dread and guilt.

And then her gaze landed on James, and it reminded her that a stag could not take a beating quite like a panther and a werewolf could. His temple was bleeding, and so were his arms, and his neck, and probably many other body parts that weren't in her line of view. He was standing, though, which was a positive sign. He too was looking at his surroundings in a lost trance, scrutinizing Remus' slumped figure in disbelief. This had been a first for him. He'd fought werewolf Remus before, but never like this, never for hours and never so brutally. As if on cue, James and Alexis locked gazes, expressing the fear and overwhelming emotion they felt with just a look in their eyes.

"It's alright. It's all over now." He murmured solemnly, pulling her closer and into his arms in a protective manner. His voice was soothing, the raspy and hoarse noise had such a calming effect on her for some reason. So calming, it was the last thing she heard before she went unconscious. 

 

The hospital wing had a very peculiar smell, an odd mixture of herbs and potions, she didn't even need to open her eyes to know where she was, the mere smell gave it away. Her body felt sore yet there was no agonizing pain, which was a good start after you spend the night battling a werewolf. She opened her eyes ever so slowly, expecting to see the white ceiling of the room and feel the bright lights burning her eyes, but was met instead with a pair of hazel eyes that startled her at first.

"I told you you were going to scare her." Sirius' hoarse voice told James from somewhere in the room. Alexis didn't bother looking for him, her eyes remained glued to James' face, which hadn't moved in the slightest. His eyebrows furrowed as he continued inspecting her face from his close proximity, and that'swhen she became conscious about how small the distance between their faces was, which she wasn't particularly comfortable with.

_"_ Do I look that bad?" She commented playfully, bringing her hands to her face to hide the heat creeping up her cheeks.

He gave her his most charming smile, one she had never noticed nor cared for before, but was hard to ignore now given the circumstances. "Hideous," he joked, earning himself a light shove from the girl. He cackled as he made his way back to what she assumed was his assigned bed.

She now took the time to assess the situation surrounding her. The five of them were the only ones present in the room, with the matron herself being nowhere in sight. The injuries in her body, which mostly consisted of bruises and cuts, were to be expected and did not look all that alarming. James and Sirius shared the same level of injuries, not quite as lucky as Alexis but nothing critical either. Sirius had gotten a long cut above his right eyebrow which, in her opinion, added to his bad boy persona. James looked beat up and could easily claim he got into a brutal fist fight, but even Alexis had to admit, there was something so  _alluring_  about the way his injuries suited his egotistical mannerisms, turning him into the bad boy novels warned you about. Peter was the most unharmed of the lot, which was to be expected. If he was in the hospital wing it was most likely because of exhaustion rather than actual injuries. And then there was Remus, his appearance looking more sickly than how he did back in the forest. The aftermath of the full moon plus the beating he took resulted in what was possibly the worst Remus Lupin had ever looked.

Remus and Alexis locked gazes, a distraught look in their eyes, before erupting into a blabbering mess that consisted mainly of  _I'm sorry_  and  _I could've_   _killed you_. Their words got lost as they spoke over each other, but the overall message was delivered and the sentiment understood: that was a night to forget.

"Alright, we get it, you're both sorry," Sirius waved his hand dismissively before placing a finger over his lips, "now can you just-- _sshh_."

"There is an elephant in the room we need to discuss," James stated with an oddly serious tone.

"Peter is not that fat," whispered Sirius.

"--A  _panther_ , Alexis Riddle?! A bloody panther?!" James ignored Sirius' comment and focused his undivided attention on Alexis instead.

"I felt so pathetic when I saw you turn into your animagus," muttered Sirius, "I used to feel proud about my black dog.  _Used to_  being the key words."

"Yeah, it's pretty pathetic."

"Shut up, Peter, you're a rat."

"I'm flattered by the compliments, really," she replied unfazed, sitting up straighter and throwing her legs to the side of the bed, "but I'd rather be on my way out than stay here, smelling like herbs and shit."

"Madam Pomfrey hasn't told us to leave," said James, looking at her with a frown between his eyebrows.

"Oh," she stood up and began to make her way out, waving goodbye to the four boys, "have fun waiting for her, then."

They followed her with their gaze until she was eventually out of view. It was Sirius who spoke up first, saying, "it really does smell like herbs in here." With a sigh, James threw the covers to the side and ran after the defiant girl with the other three Marauders following in tow. 

 

"So," Sirius began after they had regrouped, walking through the deserted corridors while most students ate their lunch at the Great Hall, "anyone up for that duel--say--tomorrow?"

"I didn't know you wanted to be back in the hospital wing so quickly," Alexis teased, earning herself a slight push from the lad.

"Please, Riddle, you have to let go of the past and begin coming to terms with the fact that I'm going to beat you this time around," he lazily draped his arm around her shoulders as they walked side by side.

She then felt another arm being draped around her, which unsurprisingly enough belonged to James. She was now being squeezed in between the two significantly taller boys. "I haven't forgiven you for disarming me in like 5 seconds back then, eh," James smirked, "I almost lost my street credibility."

"Oh, bummer," she feigned a pout right before escaping their grasp and walking ahead of them.

"You never had any street credibility, James," Remus commented matter-of-factly.

"How would you know, Mr. I Always Stutter When Talking To My Crush," James retaliated before comically portraying an impression of Remus, "h--hey, Cat--Catherine, I was wondering if you could--if you could--maybe-- _pass me the salt?"_

Remus smacked the back of James' head with an adorably ashamed expression in his face. "You're both right," Sirius added, "I've never seen Remus form a coherent sentence whenever he's speaking to Catherine, and James' parents' names are Fleamont and Euphemia. That tells you everything you need to know about his  _street credibility_ ," he animatedly explained to Alexis, his hands buried in his pockets and his infamous smug grin decorating his lips.

She shook her head with an amused smile playing on her lips. The boys' constant bickering followed her to the Great Hall until they eventually parted ways, they went on to sit with their fellow Gryffindors, their arrival receiving a lot of attention, while she took a seat at the very end of the Slytherin table, as far from her brother's pestering followers as she could. Her gaze remained glued on the boys, observing their light-hearted demeanor and playful ways with amusement.

You see, Alexis Riddle had never been a particularly friendly person. Hidden in her brother's shadow, people rarely attempted to reach out to her, and she never felt the need to reach out either. Her  _condition_  made friendships and such appear valueless and weak, but there was  _something_  about the Marauders, something that looked promising.

**Author's Note:**

> Zhenya Katava as ALEXIS RIDDLE  
> Aaron Taylor-Johnson as JAMES POTTER  
> Ben Barnes as SIRIUS BLACK  
> Andrew Garfield as REMUS LUPIN  
> Jamie Bell as PETER PETTIGREW


End file.
